Facebook is caught in the middle of a controversy over free expression, trying to determine which videos of beheadings it should allow on its popular social media Internet site.
 
Facebook, with more than a billion users worldwide, banned beheading videos in May as psychologically damaging for many of its young viewers. But the U.S.-based company recently ended the prohibition, saying it was reversing its policy so that users could share news about world events, including terrorist attacks and human rights abuses.
 
But as soon as it had confirmed the policy switch, Facebook drew new criticism over a video showing the bloody decapitation of a woman believed to be caught up in Mexican drug violence.
 
British Prime Minister David Cameron joined the attacks against Facebook. He said the company was “irresponsible” for allowing the gory videos to be posted, especially without warnings that some viewers might find them offensive.
 
By late Tuesday, Facebook pulled the video of the woman and sought to clarify its policy on posting the violent images. It said that posting such videos is acceptable if they are of “public interest or concern,” with users often condemning the perpetrators of the violence.
 
But Facebook said it would continue to remove videos that are posted for “sadistic pleasure or to celebrate violence.”
 
Facebook administrators often face conflicting pressure from various interest groups seeking to impose their own form of censorship. Women’s rights groups want the company to ban misogynistic content, while others have criticized Facebook’s ban on nudity. Religious groups have sought a prohibition on what they perceive as blasphemous content, while others have complained about Facebook’s censorship of critical comments about various religions. 
 
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP. [Read More]

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Source: VOA News: Economy and Finance